1 Tim. iii. 16. Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness : God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
IT has been often said by infidels, that, where mystery begins, religion ends. But, if this were true, there would be no uniformity or consistency in the works of God. All his works both of creation and providence are full of mysteries : there is not any one substance, of which we know all the properties, or any one event, for which we can assign all the reasons. If then there were nothing in religion above the comprehension of man, it would afford a strong presumption, that our religion was not from heaven : for why should it be revealed, if man could have devised it without a revelation ? But the inspired writers represent the Gospel as " the wisdom of God in a mystery a," as "a mystery hid from agesb," and "kept secret from the foundation of the world0:" they speak of many of its fundamental doctrines as a mystery d, a great mystery6, a gloriously rich mys- tery'; and of its ministers as "stewards of the mys- teries of Godg." In the words before us, many of the principal events, relating to Christ, and the esta- lishment of his religion in the world, are enumerated, and confessedly declared to be a " great mystery." Let us then contemplate them in their order, and enter with deepest reverence into the investigation of them.
I. " God was manifest in the flesh" —
[It was not a mere creature- that took upon him our nature, but God himself, as the Scriptures both of the 01dh
a 1 Cor. ii. 7. b Col. i. 26. ° Rom. xvi. 25.
11 1 Cor. xv. 51. e Eph. i. 9. and v. 32. ' Col. i. 27.
s 1 Cor. iv. 1. h Isai. ix. 6. and vii. 14. with Matt. i. 23.